Cardinal in the Pine by Sarah Ann Smith

Cardinal in the Pine is my contribution to this year’s Coastal Quilters Chapter Challenge (see this post for all the quilts).  Once again, I–the art quilter–went traditional!  Since the Ohio Star of course reminded me of Christmas, I thought I’d make a holiday quilt with mine.  Online I found a couple free Tree of Life blocks.  I wanted my tree to be vertical.  Since the vertical axis of the tree is usually on the diagonal of the block, I figured out what size I needed the block to be so that it would fit vertically within the 20 1/2″ square format.   (PS–sorry about the double watermarks on the bottom of the photos…I’ll fix that on the next batch.)

First, there were a LOT of half-square triangles to make, both green-and-white and then red-and-white for the sawtooth border. The red pile on the bottom left is what I had after I “un-stitched” the original block (seen in last photo in this post).

For the reds, I used the red in the original red-green Ohio Start block plus a range of red batiks, all tone-on-tone.  Here I’m trimming, finger pressing, squaring up.

Hooray! I LIKE IT! I’ve got the components of the block pieced and ready to sew together. I used all the green and most of the red in the original block. For the Tree of Life I opted to use just one red square for my favorite East Coast bird: the cardinal; alas, we don’t have any our yard, but they are here in mid-coast Maine. I set the pieced bits out on my 20 1/2″ square ruler to gauge size.

Then on to the really FUN part:  quilting!  I knew I wanted to use a feathered vine as the wind swirling the snow around the tree, and I knew I wanted it to stand out and sparkle, so I used Superior Threads Glitter (a holographic thread–basically ya know the stuff they use to make mylar balloons?  sorta like that except cut into looooonnnngggggg flat strips) in Pearl / Crystal #111 (here).  This thread is amazing, as it looks clear/white/opalescent here, but when used on dark fabric, it looks like an irridescent green (the black quilt on the cover of my book uses the same thread!).  It’s important when using holographic and metallic threads to use a SLIPPERY thread in the bobbin;  I use The Bottom Line, a smooooooth, fine poly from Superior.  Once could also use clear (ugh), rayon (not my fave at all) or silk.  You do *not* want to use cotton, as the slubs on the cotton will grab the glitter or metallic threads and play not-so-nice.

Close-up of quilting on Cardinal in the Pine. Feathered vine stitched in Superior Threads Glitter (Pearl #111). Other background quilting uses Superior’s 40-wt trilobal poly thread in white.

An angled view of the quilting in Cardinal in the Pine shows the relief and (to borrow Pamela Allen’s word) puffosity of the quilting.

And the quilt with the block which inspired this challenge:

Cardinal in the Pine, 20 1/2″ square, with another of the original Ohio Star blocks. I used one of these blocks, a white-on-white (the back side so it wasn’t so garish), and red and green batiks.

Sometimes, good stuff happens.  And sometimes, you get to say thank you in person.  And sometimes, things come full circle, and you keep on going and quilting and enjoying.  All that happened on Show and Tell night at the Vermont Quilt Festival this year.  (And yes, that was –gulp, hanging my very red face– two months ago!)

One of the most exciting and nerve-inducing moments for me at Vermont Quilt Festival  came Saturday night, at Show and Tell.

With Mary K. Ryan at VQF 2012. I ordered her pattern in 1990, finished it about a decade later, and 22 years after starting it, got to have my picture taken with Mary and “our” quilt! I’ve never shown this quilt at a big show before, and still have goosebumps from getting to tell the story and the thunderous applause when I unfurled it on the show and tell stage. PS–if anyone got pictures of me up on stage holding the quilt, please write..I’d love a jpeg!

Back when I was newly-booked to teach there, I was chatting with Missy Lackney, the education chair, and shared that one of my favorite quilt stories involved a Vermont quilt designer, Mary K. Ryan, and a quilt I made from one of her patterns (link is to a wholesaler…sorry, I couldn’t find an online source!).  Missy told me that Mary rarely teaches now, but would be teaching this year and I should share my quilt on the Saturday night event…. so for over a year, I looked forward to sharing my second-ever quilt top (tho it took another ten years to finish quilting it!).

To begin at the beginning, I learned to quilt in Bolivia (while assigned to the US Embassy) and then in Libreville, Gabon (on leave without pay while hubby was deputy Ambassador, so I wasn’t allowed to work under him in the chain of command–what a shame, I got to sit home and quilt!).  While on transfer in 1989 from Bolivia to Gabon, I learned there were quilting MAGAZINES…what a concept!  I promptly subscribed to Quilters Newsletter Magazine.  I then discovered I could order back issues, so I got every one they had, back to 1984!  I pored over EVERY issue, reading everything I could to learn.  On the back of many issues was the Polyfil advertisement with a large bed quilt featured with this note:  To order this pattern, write to us at XXXXXX.  I was in love with the quilt, and had no idea a Mariner’s Compass pattern was supposed to be difficult–not something to make for your second quilt!

So I promptly wrote away to order it.  Now–our mail came and went via Diplomatic Pouch:  secure but sssssllllllooooowwwww.  It took about six weeks for a letter to reach the US Mail system, and usually another 2 months to get a reply if someone answered promptly.  So 3-4 months after I sent away for the pattern, I get a letter back from PolyFil saying:  you can order a wall hanging version of this quilt by writing directly to the pattern designer, Mary K. Ryan.  {insert banging head on wall!}  So I wrote away again, saying I hoped so much it was a full-sized pattern as I wanted to make the big quilt.

Oceans Alive, my version of Mary K. Ryan’s Mariner’s Compass pattern. The published pattern is for the center medallion. Mary had made the quilt bed-sized, and I wanted to also. It took quite a while, but I did it, and I still love this quilt as much today as I did when I made it.

When the reply came, it was for a 28×28 inch wallhanging only, but to my UTTER astonishment and delight, Mary included a hand-written note!  Alas, the note is downstairs and I’m still on a walker and not able to go downstairs to find and photo the note…but I have it and the pattern! Mary told me how many yards I’d need, how many running inches of the fabric for the inner borders, how to enlarge the pattern by 125 percent to make the center medallion (I would NEVER have figured that one out on my own!).  I had also discovered Mary’s quilt was featured on the COVER of QNM in the mid 1980s and had back-ordered that issue.  So with Mary’s instructions by my side, and a ruler that measured in millimeters, I measured the known width (of the compass border) with inches, then figured out how wide that was in millimeters (the size on the photo on the cover), and did the math to figure out how large things should be!

I made cardboard templates from cereal boxes.  I started outlining onto the cloth with pencil, but soon discovered the pencil dulled quickly and I could see my sizes would be wrong.  So,  because I didn’t know better, used my rotary cutter to cut alongside the cardboard templates!   I soon discovered that I was cutting into the cardboard, so I put my plastic ruler on top to get a nice edge.  …And proceeded to cut out several hundred compass points!

Paul’s cat Brandy (dearly departed lo these many years) supervised cutting on the dining room table.  My cat Cassy (dearly departed lo these many more years) supervised the piecing and eventual sleep-worthiness of the quilt.  I got the entire top stitched while we were in central Africa.  I was SUCH a newbie to quilting, I didn’t even know the points were supposed to come to the edges of the circle!  Miraculously, when I learned this fact years later I went to look and most of them did!

Serendipity happened when an oceanographic / environmental group sent a “donate to us” mailing with a coloring book with dolphin and orca whales in it.  How perfect for quilting motifs!    But it was central Africa.  Even with the air conditioning on at full blast, I had to sit under the quilt with a lap hoop, and my hands would get sweaty with just 20 minutes of hand quilting.  So the quilt got set aside for almost ten years.  By then we lived on San Juan Island, Washington, (where we could see the orcas from our deck!) and I set myself the goal of finishing the quilt in time to enter into the County Fair, where it won Grand Champion that year!  I was so I excited I wrote to Mary to tell her of “our” win!

Detail of my quilt, Oceans Alive. Begun in 1990 in Gabon (West Africa), finished about 2000 in Friday Harbor, Washington. Pattern by Mary K. Ryan.

Fast forward another decade-plus.  My heart was pounding and my palms were sweaty as I waited my turn to Show and Tell at VQF.  I’m OK with speaking to a large quilty crowd, but this was different:  I knew Mary would be in the audience!   Show founder Richard Cleveland was doing emcee duties, and I mentioned to him as I approached the microphone that I needed to tell the story first, then show the quilt.  I left out the details of which ad/company and what design—until I said “What a wonderful welcome to the wonderful world of quilting, that the designer should write  to me like that!  So with great thanks to Vermont’s own, Mary K. Ryan!”  and we unfurled my quilt to what sounded to me like thunderous applause and oohs and ahhhs and gasps….I was SHAKING!  But I made it through the story without crying or losing it….and I was thrilled!

At the end of the show and tell, I made a beeline for Mary moving against the tide of departing quilters (and I had never met or seen Mary….Richard C. pointed her out to me from the dais as we showed the quilt….turns out she is on the board of VQF!) and we got this picture of me with Mary and “our” quilt!  I’ve never shared this quilt before at a large regional or national show…just locally.  Since I’m now known for art quilting, I was so nervous and so happy at the reception and being able to surprise Mary with the story and the quilt.

I’ve got goosebumps all over again….thanks for reading this far and letting me tell all of this story.  I now know that such incredible generosity as hers happens in the quilt world quite regularly, but I didn’t then….and I’m so glad I had such a warm welcome to this world of ours that brings us all such joy.  Thank you, Mary K. Ryan!

After 3 1/2 days of teaching, Judy Woodworth, Bonnie K. Hunter and I went into downtown Burlington for dinner to relax and celebrate. We had dessert at—where else of course (we’re in their home state)–Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream!

Just a quick note to check in and say hi and share pics of a few of the highlights of the days here in Colchester/Essex Junction, Vermont, where I’ve just taught 3 1/2 days of classes at the Vermont Quilt Festival.  WOW–what an amazingly run (by volunteers!) quilt show, with some stunningly beautiful and top-notch quilts from traditional to modern.   I’ll do several more posts, but Burlington is a charming small city–I am enchanted with the bike lanes and all the folks from college age to seniors riding bikes to and fro, parking for bikes in the downtown core (just a couple blocks up from the shores of Lake Champlain).  I had an absolute blast and would SO love to return to teach again, and know for sure I’ll now come as a “tourist” quilter, too!  It is about 6-7 hours from my home in Maine, so a day visit requires two nights away from home, but it is worth it!

Ben and Jerry’s is on Church Street at the corner of Cherry street…. Look at the sign! I TOTALLY love a town that has a sense of humor!

An internet friend, whom I met in one of my online drawing classes with Jane LaFazio, Dana B. came up to Burlington to meet me for dinner on Wednesday, the day I arrived.  Susan Brubaker Knapp, whom I initially met over the internet as well was also teaching, so the three of us had a most fanatabulous dinner at Leunig’s.  I’ll share more pics of the restaurant in a future post.

Wednesday with Dana B. and Susan Brubaker Knapp at Leunig’s restaurant on Church Street.

And the classes…OH MY did I have fun, and my students were so wonderful!  I won’t share any pictures now because there are just so many that I need to do a post or two just on those!

And one of the highlights for me was being able to share at Saturday night’s Show and Tell–I’ll post the whole wonderful story, but here’s a picture of me with my Oceans Alive quilt, made from Mary K. Ryan’s Mariner’s Compass pattern, WITH Mary K. Ryan!   It was just such a thrilling, wonderful thing, and I think you can tell by how happy we both look!

Me and Mary K. Ryan, with my quilt made (pieced in 1990-91, hand quilted and finished in about 2000) from Mary’s Mariner’s Compass pattern.

Tomorrow, I’ll drive home with a couple hour detour to the south to visit my dear friend Jacquie Scuitto, the Quiltmuse (I did a post on her book of light verse, here and blogged about her visit to Camden here and her verse in A Black and White Tale here), and hope to have more pictures and blogging for you later in the week.  Cheers, from a very happy and not-nearly-as-tired-as-I-expected me (tho I may collapse once I get home!)

What better pairing than a great exhibit  (of which I am proud to be a part) AND an opportunity to help “Kickstart” a great new chapter in the Why Quilts Matter series.

I’ve blogged before about my quilt, Strength and Calm, which has been juried in to the Rituals exhibit that will debut this summer at International Quilt Festival Long Beach then travel on to the mega-kahuna-mecca of quilts, International Quilt Festival in Houston (where I will also be teaching again! would love to see/meet some of you in my classes!).  Well curators Leslie Tucker Jenison and Jamie Fingal have been running a fun and fascinating glimpse into the lives and personalities of the artists who have made the quilts in this year’s exhibit.  Today is my turn!  So to read more about it, go here.  Thanks to Moore‘s Sewing and Havel (as in those wonderful scissors) for sponsoring the exhibits!

Speaking of sponsoring, I was starting to read some old QuiltArt digests, and discovered that Shelley Zegart has launched a new project, a companion guide to the WONDERFUL DVD series, Why Quilts Matter (click here to read lots more about the series).  I’m thrilled to say I’ve just made a donation to her fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.  You can click on the widget (the doohickie to the left) in the sidebar of my blog or go here to help support this effort and read more about it.

Got some great news this week, made official with the arrival yesterday of semi-finalist information from AQS (American Quilters Society):  my 20 1/2 by 20 1/2 inch quilt that I made for the Coastal Quilters Grocery Challenge, From the Schooner Coast, has been accepted in the miniatures category at Paducah! The smallest squares  finish at (shoot me!  WHY? did I do this…and believe it or not I could actualy see doing this again) 1 1/8″.  Yes, scarcely larger than an inch.  For those of you not in the U.S.  that is about 2.6 or 2.7 cm.  Small.

From the Schooner Coast (click to see a bit larger)

This quilt is a hybrid of a 9″ square art quilt depicting Camden Harbor and miniature storm at sea blocks.  I talked about the Grocery Challenge here (part 1) and here (part 2), but in a nutshell (this was something I thought up…imagine…an original challenge idea!) take a food or beverage from the grocery store as your inspiration.  You had to use at least 4 colors from the package (adding black and white was allowed), but so that folks just didn’t troll the aisles looking for a package with colors they liked, you had to add at least one motif or element inspired by the packaging.  For example, if you picked corkscrew noodles, you could quilt with a corkscrew design; or, if you picked Tabasco sauce, you could use a chili-pepper fabric.

I chose Shipyard Export Ale because I love woodblock prints and I love that the image is so “Maine.”  However, I thought the picture on the label looked like Wiscasset, not Camden, so I changed it a bit to look like OUR town and feature one of the local schooners (with permission of the captain). Here’s the bottle and carrier:

Shipyard Export ale, my "grocery" inspiration for the 2011 CQ Challenge

SO…. if you are lucky enough to be headed to the big show in Paducah, hope you get to see my little quilt.  I harbor NO hopes that it will win any awards…the piecing isn’t quite perfect and this is the quilt where I learned that I should have used the hopping foot to free-motion quilt, not the one that skims the surface.  Why?  The “skimming” foot got hung up on the thick intersections for those blocks.  And when I pulled/tugged/etc. to get the quilt under the foot, the stitch length became inconsistent.  But I love this little quilt of “home” anyway!   And I learned something new that I can share with my students and all of you!